John Vitale, left, and his son, Dylan, showed off an artist’s rendering of the two rental unit buildings he is planning for Island Park.

Vitale, who lives in East Atlantic Beach, said that he sees himself more as a business owner in Island Park than a developer, and that he has a continuing stake in the village.

“With the rental units, both the young and the elderly will be able to stay in their community after they move from their parents’ home or when they sell their home to move into smaller quarters,” he said. “Now there’s no place in Island Park for them to go.”

At a recent Chamber of Commerce meeting, some residents asked for assurances that the development would survive a storm like Sandy. Vitale told them that the project, on Waterview Road and Pettit Place, would conform to new post-storm standards.

“After Sandy, nobody will allow you to build unless the plans call for sustainable concepts such as drainage and protection of utilities,” he said. “These buildings will have all those features.”

Vitale has applied to the Town of Hempstead for a change of zoning from industrial to residential, which he would need for the project. He said that his application was “moving slowly,” but added that despite the rejection of a much larger rental apartment plan in nearby Harbor Isle, he was confident that he would get the approval.

Some business interests in the village support the project. “We were excited to hear about the project and would like to hear more,” said Glenn Ingoglia, the president of the Chamber of Commerce. “We’re very encouraged by what we already heard.

“Rental apartments are vital to any community,” Ingoglia added. “I think that the image of rentals on Long Island is changing with the demographics. I can’t believe that residents would reject young people with money to spend on rentals and in community shops, bars and restaurants.”

Comments

While this town will forever miss Paddy Mcgees, this project is the right kind of development for Island Park. Since the Hurricane, this community has been trying to recover but the obstacles are many. A combination of public and private investment is real hope for the future of Island Park. Investors always tend to follow the herd . Island Park will get its chance to attract new business and new residents . Let's hope they support projects like this.